Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner

Fullerton Wine has a tasting room in the Slabtown area on NW Pettygrove, with a unique perspective of offering wine to highlight all the AVA (American Viticultural Area) of the Willamette Valley. To help this vision, winemaker Alex Fullerton and father Eric offers fine wine and they love pairing with food, offering dinners and dueling pairings with other winemakers. I’ve attended and loved a dinner previously, and recently attended another one with their new executive chef Andrew Thomas who recently started offering winemaker pairing dinner menu options for non-meat those reducing meat eaters.
Rosemary Focaccia Bruschetta Roasted Summer Vegetables, Gremolata, Toasted Spice Pepitas Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Wood Fired Grilled Steak, Whiskey Braised Cipollini Onions, Thyme Brown Butter, New Potatoes, Romesco Sauce

In a very inclusive move, the wine pairing dinners are offered so that diners can select from a Traditional (omnivore) menu, Pescatarian, or Vegan food pairing. So those with dietary restrictions are thoughtfully accounted for which is worth spotlighting, beyond their convenient location within Portland and great wines. It’s also fun to see how they efficiently create the twists in dishes to meet the restrictions. Here’s an example walkthrough of the Fullerton Pairing Dinner June 16 & 17, 2023 to see what an experience might be like.

We started with a welcome pour of 2021 Three Otters Rosé. This easy to drink and very affordable summer pleaser started as a competition between father and son on who can make the best Rosé (whole cluster pressed vs skin contact over 6 days) and both were blended together when Alex discovered the sum was better together. You’ll notice the family love of otters on the wine label as well as part of the family crest and if you look carefully, an otter calendar hanging inside the tasting room.
Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner welcome pour of 2021 Three Otters Rosé

First Course

Seasonal Vegetable Gazpacho, Cucumber, Tomato, Red Onion, Peach, Croutons
This course was the same for both of us and was well balanced with the acidity and sweet of the fruit. It was paired with the bright 2022 Three Otters Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley AVA.
Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Seasonal Vegetable Gazpacho, Cucumber, Tomato, Red Onion, Peach, Croutons Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Seasonal Vegetable Gazpacho, Cucumber, Tomato, Red Onion, Peach, Croutons

Second Course

Aleppo Seared Scallop with Israeli Cous Cous Salad Roasted Summer Squash, Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing
🌱Vegan: Israeli Couscous, Crispy Chickpeas, Roasted Seasonal Squash, Blisters Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing
Both were paired with 2018 Lichtenwalter Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge AVA which is one of my favorites from Fullerton, with a smooth blend of fruit with spice accent in the flavor profile that’s subtle but distinguishable.
Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Aleppo Seared Scallop with Israeli Cous Cous Salad Roasted Summer Squash, Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Vegan course of Israeli Couscous, Crispy Chickpeas, Roasted Seasonal Squash, Blisters Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing

Third Course

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Signature

Tesoaria Wine and Vegan Food Pairing

I admit I’ve been a wine club member and even longer a fan of TeSóAria wines. Recently they have started offering vegan tapas on their daily tapas menu to accompany their dozen or so wines that are available at any one time to taste or purchase by the glass, in flights, or in bottles, and many of those wines are award-winning. At the time of the brunch, they were up to 97 medals!
Award winning wines at Tesoaria Award winning wines at Tesoaria

And now, starting today they have set aside every Thursday for what they call Vegan Thursday: Shut Up and Eat Your Vegetables night where all the tapas will be vegan – the menus are available starting at 5 PM. They also will be offering a vegan brunch with wine pairings by reservation only (one seating)  every few weeks. It’s not often that you see vegan food paired with wines, and it’s worth highlighting for my vegan friends out and there – and even if you’re not vegan, the Tesoaria Wine and Vegan Food Pairing is so good you will want it anyway.
Tesoaria Wine and Vegan Food Pairing at a vegan brunch - owner and winemaker John Olson describing the wine Tesoaria Wine and Vegan Food Pairing at a Vegan Brunch - yes pairing vegan food and wine- owner and winemaker John Olson describing the wine
The name for TeSóAria Vineyard & Winery comes from combining Terra (earth), Sol (sun), Aria (air and music) which are three important parts that make their wines so unique. Owner and winemaker John Olson and his family love music, and it is part of the TeSóAria experience. At their wine members pick up parties I’ve often enjoyed hearing his children play music and sing, and they host live music in the Portland Tasting Room on Saturdays. While aging the wines in the barrels, TeSóAria plays music through Bose speakers to keep the wine moving – as well as possibly imparting a little extra terroir.
Music is part of the Terrroir of Tesoaria Wines

The TeSóAria Wine and Vegan Food Pairing Brunches will be offered every few weeks as a special event  – aka, they will not be weekly so check their events listing on the website and sign up for their mailing list to be in the know. The next Vegan Brunch at the Portland Tasting Room is Sunday, July 24th, 11am $45, tout compris. Limited seating, RSVP required to events @ tesoaria.com

The food is inspired newly each time so expect to see new creative additions all the time by Chef Max Germano and Sous Chef Daniel Escalle (seen here preparing the Vegan Cassoulet during the vegan brunch) for what will be on the menu.
Tesoaria Vegan Brunch - Sous Chef Daniel Escalle preparing the Vegan Cassoulet.

Here’s a look at the inaugural vegan brunch I attended to give you an idea of what the experience could include with the 4 courses with the wine pairings.

Tesoaria Wine and Vegan Food Pairing: Vegan Brunch

1st course

Chicory Salad with Roasted Apricot Vinaigrette and croutons paired with 2015 Vermentino Secco and 2014 Field Blend #1. The greens in this salad included endive, frisee, arugula and interestingly some wasabi greens to add a hint of spiciness.
TeSóAria Wine and Vegan Food Pairing Brunch 1st course Chicory Salad with Roasted Apricot Vinaigrette and croutons paired with 2015 Vermentino Secco and 2014 Field Blend #1 TeSóAria Vegan Brunch 1st course Chicory Salad with Roasted Apricot Vinaigrette and croutons paired with 2015 Vermentino Secco and 2014 Field Blend #1

Candied pepitas with radishes and macerated apricots add additional texture and flavors to the plate that I thought were best brought out by the Field Blend #1 since each dish gave me a chance to go a White vs Red: Who Did It Better comparison.

The Field Blend is the red wine that is a tribute to old school wine making where winemakers are more focused on the flavors then getting hung up on specific varietals. TeSóAria, by the way, cultivates more than 25 different varietals from the Southern Oregon Umpqua Valley, Celestina Vineyard in Medford Rogue Valley, riesling from Willamette Valley, and some from Northern California.

2nd course

Homemade Cashew Cheese Stuffed Peppers with Tabouleh, Sweet Romanesco and Mint Oil paired with 2015 Riesling (sourced from Willamette) and 2014 Bull’s Blood (a Hungarian style red wine). He has a specific way he tells the inspiration story behind the Bull’s Blood name though rest assured there is no bull harmed in the story or in the wine making. One new trivia I learned though is that the Kadarka grape they use for this red were smuggled vines from Hungary that he inherited (he’s a rebel, but didn’t smuggle them in himself, phew)!
TeSóAria Vegan Brunch 2nd course Cashew Cheese Stuffed Peppers with Tabouleh, Sweet Romanesco and Mint Oil paired with 2015 Riesling and 2014 Bull's Blood TeSóAria Wine and Vegan Food Pairing Brunch 2nd course Cashew Cheese Stuffed Peppers with Tabouleh, Sweet Romanesco and Mint Oil paired with 2015 Riesling and 2014 Bull's Blood

With the surprise spiciness from the peppers I thought the Riesling was the winner of this pairing to balance out the dish, though normally I like drinking the Bull’s Blood on it’s own!

3rd course

Vegan Cassoulet with Fava Beans and Maitake Mushrooms, Chickpea Croutons, Roasted Vegetables, White Miso, and Tahini paired with 2015 Bella Rosa and 2012 Vindetta Reserve.
TeSóAria Vegan Brunch 3rd course Vegan Cassoulet with Fava Beans and Maitake Mushrooms, Chickpea Croutons, Roasted Vegetables, White Miso, and Tahini paired with 2015 Bella Rosa and 2012 Vindetta Reserve TeSóAria Wine and Vegan Food Pairing Brunch 3rd course Vegan Cassoulet with Fava Beans and Maitake Mushrooms, Chickpea Croutons, Roasted Vegetables, White Miso, and Tahini paired with 2015 Bella Rosa and 2012 Vindetta Reserve

Cassoulet is traditionally a peasant dish with beans and meat, and I enjoyed here how the use of mushrooms and miso really gave an extra thickness to the cassoulet to make it meaty like without actual meat. For me the Vindetta Reserve red wine was my preferred pairing of the two.

4th course

Dessert came as a Rosemary Shortcake with Apricot Jam, Apricots, Lemon Olive Oil, Fried Rosemary and Muscat Agave Nectar. The apricots are macerated in the Bella Rosa that here is also paired with the dish (2015 Bella Rosa Secco).
TeSóAria Vegan Brunch 4th course Rosemary Shortcake with Apricot Jam, Apricots, Fried Rosemary paired with 2015 Bella Rosa Secco and 2015 Sparkling Moscato TeSóAria Vegan Brunch 4th course Rosemary Shortcake with Apricot Jam, Apricots, Fried Rosemary paired with 2015 Bella Rosa Secco and 2015 Sparkling Moscato

The other wine pairing here is the 2015 Sparkling Moscato, showing off their recently started TeSóAria Sparkling Wine Program – this particular Moscato just won a Silver Medal at the 2016 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and they were confused/surprised when he entered the wine in a growler! You see, the sparkling wines of TeSóAria are on tap and you can purchase them by the (refillable!) growler here in the tasting room.

Other Excuses/Rationalizations to stop by the Portland Tasting Room:

  • On Tuesdays the Portland Tasting Room hosts Pizza Tuesdays where every Tuesday, housemade pizza is complimentary and certain wines are on special. Open house from 6 – 9 PM or until they are out of pizza.
  • They also hold Hangry Hump Day every Wednesday at The Portland Tasting Room. Chef Max’s complimentary yummies and Wine Specials vary based on the week which in the past can be as varied (and making for fun wine pairings!) as from fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, lamb gyros, chicken teriyaki, to chicken tikka masala or smoked chicken biscuits with mac and cheese and more. Open house from 6pm to 9pm or until the food is gone.

The vegan only nights are only on Thursdays, but they have also added vegan options to their always available tapas menu that includes choices like
Tasting Boards with the Tesoaria Sparkling Wine at the Sparkling Wine Release Party

  • the vegan Olive Tapenade made with Castelveltrano and Kalamata olives with herbs and toasted bread;
  • Cheese Board with house baked bread;
  • Charcuterie Board that includes Ghost Pepper Salami and housemade charcuterie items;
  • the vegan Mezze Board with Hummus, Lebneh, Marinated Olives, Roasted Almonds, Cucumber and Flatbread;
  • Focaccia Pizza (including vegan pizza option);
  • Smoked Salmon brined in TeSóAria Bella Bianca wine before being cold smoked;
  • House cured ham sandwich with brie and house made mustard, greens and lemon chive vinaigrette
  • TeSóAria Housemade Candy Bars with salted almond shortbread and vanilla caramel topped with dark chocolate and Maldon sea salt!

On the Thursday Shut Up and Eat Your Vegetables Vegan Takeover day, a recent visit yielded for me choices like

  • Samosas with curry cauliflower and potato with a spiced tomato sauce, suggested pairing 2015 Riesling but you can try whatever wine you’d like, I prefer red wine to white myself and there are plenty to choose from, many are award winning as you can see from the 100 medals Tesoaria has won with their wines
    Tesoaria's Thursday Portland Vegan Takeover Menu - Shut Up and Eat Your Vegetables, Samosas with curry cauliflower and potato with a spiced tomato sauce, suggested pairing 2015 Riesling though you can do whatever pairing you choose - I prefer red wine to white myself and there are plenty to choose from, many are award winning as you can see from the 100 medals Tesoaria has won with their wines Tesoaria's Thursday Portland Vegan Takeover Menu - Shut Up and Eat Your Vegetables, Samosas with curry cauliflower and potato with a spiced tomato sauce, suggested pairing 2015 Riesling but you can try whatever wine you'd like - I enjoyed a red because I prefer red to white wine
  • Portobello Sandwich with house made that day ciabatta, romesco, pickled peppers, roasted fennel greens, suggested wine pairing 2014 Bulls Blood though here I tried the 2014 Primitivo which was just as excellent!
    Tesoaria's Thursday Portland Vegan Takeover Menu - Shut Up and Eat Your Vegetables, Portobello Sandwich with house made that day ciabatta, romesco, pickled peppers, roasted fennel greens, suggested wine pairing 2014 Bulls Blood though here I tried the 2014 Primitivo which was just as excellent!
  • Som Tam Salad Rolls with a charred peanut and black garlic sauce, suggested pairing 2015 Vermentino or 2015 Bella Bianca; the charred peanut and black garlic sauce provide a savory and funky taste to mimic fish sauce but in a vegan way
    "Tesoaria's
  • Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake with macerated apricots, strawberry rhubarb compote, and fresh cherries, suggested wine pairing sparkling muscat, one of the sparkling wines of Tesoaria that you can get to go in a growler!
    "Tesoaria's Sparkling muscat in a growler bottled for you from the tap at the Tesoaria Tasting Room on North Williams

Their tasting menu also includes 5 flight options that include tapas paired with three glasses of wine – cheese, charcuterie, the wine maker’s flight with chef’s choice (1 of the wines will be the live barrel), or a library wine flight with chef’s choice of tapas to pair with the wine.
Open house at Tesoaria with a dozen wines to taste Open house at Tesoaria with a dozen wines to taste

Suffice it to say you will not lack for choice for types of wine to try at TeSóAria. Usually there are a little more than half a dozen white wine and a dozen red wines to choose by the glass or to make a wine flight, plus 2-3 sparkling wine you can try. Purchase a bottle of wine from the live barrel and they will hand bottle for you and write a custom message.
TeSóAria offers live barrels in their Portland Tasting Room for you to taste and will hand bottle if you puchase a bottle TeSóAria offers live barrels in their Portland Tasting Room for you to taste and will hand bottle if you puchase a bottle

TeSóAria wines are only available directly from the winery through their tasting rooms, mailing list, and wine clubs.

Locations of TeSóAria Tasting Rooms:

  • The Portland Tasting Room: 4003 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97227
  • The Roseburg Tasting Room & Winery: 512 N Curry Road, Roseburg, OR 97471

Tesóaria Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Signature

Beaujolais Nouveau 2015 Fête and Auction at the Heathman

Every year, the third Friday in November at midnight in France kicks off the nationwide Beaujolais Nouveau festival. Beaujolais Nouveau specifically is a young wine created from Gamay grapes freshly harvested by hand in the Beaujolais area of Bourgogne (also known as Burgundy) and bottled 6-8 weeks after the harvest after carbonic maceration, or whole berry fermentation.

This means the wines don’t have time to absorb tannins, and has a lot of fruit flavors. It is served chilled almost like a white wine, but has the fruit of the red wine – a perfect offering of both the worlds of red and and white.

St Honore as part of the Nouveau Division Crawl 2014 presented some of their Tarte Flambées with Beujolais Nouveau from the famous Georges Du Boeuf "Lauretta
St Honore as part of the Nouveau Division Crawl 2014 presented some of their Tarte Flambées with Beujolais Nouveau from the famous Georges Du Boeuf. Lauretta Jeans presented Mini brownies and Chiroubles Beujolais. This year the 2015 crawl is on Thursday November 19.

I don’t really know exactly why it’s regulated by the French government that the wine cannot be released until the third Friday in November. I don’t know why that the release of the wine is celebrated so boisterously with wine parties including the wine, food, and sometimes even fireworks. There are races from barrel to bottle to then distribute the wine across the land (allegedly including transportation items such as elephant, hot air balloon, and Concorde jet) and enjoy the wine upon arrival since Beaujolais is meant for immediate drinking.

What I do know is that this race also includes across the ocean, including this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau 2015 wines being freshly imported from France to Portland, and for example to Portland’s Fête Beaujolais Nouveau.
This year their will be the 14th year of the West Coast's largest Beaujolais Nouveau festival at the Heathman

What I do know is that the West Coast’s largest Beaujolais Nouveau festival (with 450-500 guests each year) has been held every year at the Heathman Restaurant & Bar in Portland. This year their will be the 14th year for their Fête Beaujolais Nouveau, ​presented by The French-American Chamber of Commerce​ and the Alliance ​​Française de Portland​.

The event this year occurs on Friday, November 20, 2015, at 6 PM. Tickets include access to newly imported Beaujolais Nouveau 2015 wines as well as wines and spirits more locally sourced from Oregon, Washington and California.
West Coast's largest Beaujolais Nouveau festival at the Heathman in Portland 2014. Photos courtesy of Alliance Française de Portland, taken by photographer Katharine Kimball West Coast's largest Beaujolais Nouveau festival at the Heathman in Portland 2014. Photos courtesy of Alliance Française de Portland, taken by photographer Katharine Kimball
West Coast’s largest Beaujolais Nouveau festival at the Heathman in Portland 2014. Photos courtesy of Alliance Française de Portland, taken by photographer Katharine Kimball.

A French-themed food buffet that covers the entire Mezzanine and Tea Court levels of the Heathman hotel with a menu prepared by Executive Chef Michael Stanton and features live cooking stations with chef demos (see the Beaujolais Nouveau 2015 Menu here).
Guests and Foie Gras, West Coast's largest Beaujolais Nouveau festival, held at the Heathman in Portland. Photos courtesy of Alliance Française de Portland, taken by Heather Heaton Guests and Seafood, West Coast's largest Beaujolais Nouveau festival, held at the Heathman in Portland. Photos courtesy of Alliance Française de Portland, taken by Heather Heaton
Guests and Foie Gras, and Guests and Seafood, at the Beaujolais Nouveau festival at the Heathman in Portland 2014. Photos courtesy of Alliance Française de Portland, taken by photographer Heather Heaton.

The classy live entertainment will include Portland’s Heather Keizur, a jazz vocalist who sings in French and English, followed by the Bobby Torres Band presenting Latin jazz.

Ticket options include

  • standard guest tickets at $70 with no seating (guests float among bistro and cocktail tables)
  • a limited number of Young Professionals tickets at $60 (Young Professionals apparently are between the ages of 21 and 35)
  • Sold Out Gold reserved seats at tables in the Opus room at in the Mezzazine level
  • Sold Out VIP tables with reserved seats for parties of eight in the Library Mezzanine space
  • The event sells out every year, so if you want to go buy your tickets ahead of time.

What I do know is that on this day of the third Friday of November, as you enjoy a glass or bottle of Beaujolais, you know that around the world, there are many many others where this same enjoyment of Beaujolais is occurring.

West Coast's largest Beaujolais Nouveau festival at the Heathman in Portland 2014. Photos courtesy of Alliance Française de Portland, taken by photographer Katharine Kimball West Coast's largest Beaujolais Nouveau festival at the Heathman in Portland 2014. Photos courtesy of Alliance Française de Portland, taken by photographer Katharine Kimball
West Coast’s largest Beaujolais Nouveau festival at the Heathman in Portland 2014. Photos courtesy of Alliance Française de Portland, taken by photographer Katharine Kimball.

Would you like to join in on the worldwide French wine party for Beaujolais Nouveau 2015? It’s on my calendar, and feel free to invite your friends with the Beaujolais Nouveau Fête and Auction 2015 Facebook event!

Disclosure: I am attending the Fête Beaujolais Nouveau on a media pass, but I was not compensated or asked to write this post. I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Signature

Whole Foods Top 10 Holiday Wines + Free Wine Tasting Placemat Printable

Disclosure: This wine and cheese tasting event was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Last week I attended a Whole Foods Twitter tasting event (#wfmwine). I and a few other bloggers and media had the opportunity to taste four of the Top Ten selection of the Whole Foods 2013 top holiday wines, paired with cheese. Being as delicious as the Holiday Wines were, even better is what an incredible value they are – every wine on the list is under $25 –  so I wanted to share in case you are looking for some Holiday Wine picks to host or bring to a holiday get together.
Whole Foods Holiday 2013 Top 10 Wines

Not only that, but if you happen to be putting together a cheese plate, well these four are already wonderfully matched and ready for you to pick up at your local Whole Foods! This is great because even though I attended the event here in Portland, when I return to Chicago for the holidays I know I will be able to acquire all of these wines instead of worrying about finding equivalents when I travel there (or lugging it with me in checked baggage)- this Twitter tasting event was nationwide.
Whole Foods Twitter tasting event (#wfmwine) where I and a few other bloggers and media had the opportunity to taste a four of the Top Ten selection of the Whole Foods 2013 top holiday wines, paired with cheese Whole Foods Twitter tasting event (#wfmwine) where I and a few other bloggers and media had the opportunity to taste a four of the Top Ten selection of the Whole Foods 2013 top holiday wines, paired with cheese

One of the advantages of going to Whole Foods for your holiday wine selection is that besides being able to get other gourmet treats for your party (also just grabbing something from the deli to put in servingware for  party is acceptable too!) is what a great wine and cheese selection they have so it’s one stop shopping. They have lots of unique wine and cheeses that they offer. Many times I have visited where a helpful cheesemonger is present to help recommend cheese pairings to go with wines, and vice versa.

At the Twitter tasting event, the group was able to taste the cheese pairings with four of the Top Ten wines. Also very cool was the fact that some of the group members are vegan, and Whole Foods was able to easily accommodate them- and if you also need to account for gluten free they can also help you out. As beautiful as this cheese plate for us normal eaters were, when I looked at the vegan cheese platter, it looked equally as beautiful.
Whole Foods Pearl District in Portland offers wine friend Erin here to help us learn about the wine and cheese pairings Cheese Plate by Whole Foods to pair with four of the Top 10 Holiday Wines... they can also help you put together a vegan an/or gluten free cheese plate as well

The Whole Foods Blog listing of the Holiday 2013 Top 10 Wines not only includes tasting notes and pairing recommendations, but also each wine has a link to a recommended recipe. As a teaser, I’ve only shared the 4 I experienced at the Twitter tasting below… but there are 8 more! 8? Well, that’s because apparently they couldn’t only recommend 10, so the Top 10 Wines list actually includes 12 wines. There are also specific details on each cheese they recommend as well.

Whole Foods Top 10 Holiday Wines

WF WINE NOTES PECH’S EXPERIENCE TASTING PEEK
Roger d’Anoia Cava

Roger d’Anoia Cava

Whole Foods Tasting Note: Lively effervescence, bright notes of green apple and pear. Ripe and round, a touch of sweetness in the well-balanced finish. This Spanish sparkler pairs well with everything! Recommended pairings include Uniekaas Parrano cheese, cocktail shrimp, eggs Benedict, sweet savory Chinese food Recipe: Shrimp Cocktail with Creamy-Spicy Green Onion Dipping Sauce

This Brut provides some toasty flavors to help balance out the creamy richness of the cheese we paired with it, a Mt. Townsend Creamery Cirrus which is a Camembert style cheese from Mt. Townsend, WA. The Roger d’Anoia Cava got second (and third) pours at the tasting because we all loved it, and is a very affordable pick for a New Year’s Eve at less than $10 so you can keep the bubbling flowing all night long, and save a bottle or two for mimosas and brunch while watching the Rose Parade the next morning. Effervescent, easy pleasing Roger d'Anoia Cava Brut paired with a creamy Mt Townsend Cirrus, a camembert style cheese, this pairing was a big pleaser at the Whole Foods #wfmwine event

Skouras Anássa

Whole Foods Tasting Note: Moscofilero, the main grape used in this wine, is unique to Greece, thriving on the mountainous coastlines of the Peloponnese peninsula. Opulent aromas of ripe apricot and orange peel in this crisp, Greek White. Brisk fruit with a fresh clean finish. Recommended pairings include Red Leaf aged Cheddar, roasted chicken or salmon, roasted acorn squash, Greek salad Recipe: Roasted Salmon Stuffed with Spinach, Feta and Ricotta

In Portland we paired this with a Uniekaas 18 month Reserve Gouda, which made for an interesting experience as these are “fighting friends”. That is, this is a wine and cheese pairing that relies on contrast, rather than being complimentary. The Skouras is very clean, bright, and refreshing, while the Reserve Gouda has a crystalline crunch that is a bit salty, nutty, and leans towards dry but thanks to the Skouras this dryness is filled in The Greek White Skouras Anassa is very crisp and refreshing and clean, a fighting friend for the crystally bite of the Uniekaas 18 mo Reserve Gouda. In this case, the contrast is used instead of complimentary to pair these two at the Whole Foods #wfmwine event

Santa Julia Innovación Bonarda-Cabernet

This wonderful Argentine Red is a fantastic party wine and comes in a 1-liter bottle–a great value at more than 6 glasses per bottle. Deeply complex and full-bodied. Forward notes of plum and cigar box, and then jammy flavors of dark ripe berries. Smoky savory notes show in the luscious finish. Recommended Pairings include Borough Market Cheddar, BBQ ribs, lamb chops, sausage-stuffed mushrooms, classic Swiss fondue Recipe: Apple, Sausage and Sage Sourdough Stuffing

This Santa Julia Innovacion Bonarda-Cabernet is a 2013 vintage but already is ready to drink, and a huge deal at its $9.99 price for the 1 liter bottle. If you are hosting a party where you want the wine to flow freely, this is a great value, and the profile is flexible enough to please any palate. Although this wine is young, it stood up admirably to the strong flavors of the Beecher’s Handmade Cheese Flagship cheddar paired with it at this event. This Santa Julia Innovacion Bonarda-Cabernet is a 2013 vintage but already is ready to drink, and a huge deal at its $9.99 price for the 1 liter bottle. If you are hosting a party where you want the wine to flow freely, this is a great value, and the profile is flexible enough to please any palate

Mat Kearney Verse & Chorus Napa Valley Red Wine

Nashville-based musician Mat Kearney teamed up with the winemakers at Peju Winery of Napa Valley to create this wonderfully complex Red. Intense notes of black currant, plum and cocoa lead to rich juicy dark berry flavors. Toasty hazelnut and roasted coffee in the very long finish. Recommended Pairings include Emmi Le Gruyère cheese, beef tenderloin medallions, prime rib, lamb stew, marinated and grilled portobellos Recipe: Slow Cooker Lentil Stew with Polenta

The Mat Kearney Verse & Chorus was my favorite of the four wines I tried because of it’s roasty coffee flavors with hints of chocolate that made me think this was a wine version of a beer stout! This wine was the only one of the four that was more than $15, but at $25 this wine tastes like something 2 or 3x as much. It does have a unique and bold flavor profile, so needs a pretty bold pairing so that its flavors don’t overwhelm, or enjoy its complex layering of flavors on its own. At the PDX event this was matched with L’Or des Domes Fourme d’Ambert. The Mat Kearney Verse & Chorus was my favorite of the four wines I tried because of it's roasty coffee flavors that made me think this was a wine version of a beer stout at this Whole Foods #wfmwine event!

Free Wine Tasting Placemat Printable

Did you think the placemat you saw up there for this event was adorable? So did I. In case you want to host a wine tasting party, or a wine/cheese pairing party, how useful would it be to have a placemat like that for each person that identifies the wine and cheese that you can take notes on? I could also imagine that if you wanted to compare a flight having a little place for each wine glass to go helps you remember which is which. So I’ve made a free wine tasting placemat printable for you!

Free Printable- Wine Tasting Placemat to track your wines when having a wine flight

It’s a Wine Tasting Placemat in powerpoint which I’ve placed here in Google Drive, so you can go in after you save it and edit whether you want to actually write the name of the wine and tasting notes, or perhaps you want to do a blind tasting and/or just bare-bones like a style and region write numbers and leave a place for notes. Update the graphics as desired to match your theme and other printables. The top reminds you of various things to look for in tasting wine, such as looking for the color and body (thin? sticky?), to swirl and smell, and in terms of taste to break it down into the initial flavors, the mouthfeel, the length, and the finish. Meanwhile, there are some example adjectives to help you think of what you might be experiencing in your taste- obviously not an all encompassing list but might inspire more descriptors.

Thanks Whole Foods for the learning experience with the wine and cheese tasting – I’m ready for more schooling anytime! If you’re in Portland, check out the Whole Foods PDX Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on events and sales at the various local stores- and if you’re not from Portland look up what your local Whole Foods media is.

Disclosure: This wine and cheese tasting event was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Signature

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

Disclosure: This was a complimentary event I attended that was hosted by Kettle Chips and Snooth, but they did not require that I write this review nor did they request it.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

Recently I was invited and attended an event with many other Portland bloggers as well as other guests of Snooth, to the Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour! at the Loft on Belmont space of Vibrant Table Catering & Events. At this Happy Hour event, Snooth and Kettle Brand Potato Chips were showcasing the 8 finalist recipes from their Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-off Competition.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

The idea between Pros vs Joes is that four of the recipes were created by professional chefs (Pros) and four created by Kettle Brand fans (Joes) finalists. After a nationwide call to duty where various Joes submitted the recipes and a social voting period, four finalist recipes made it to the top and they were flown to Los Angeles where they prepared their creation for an audience. In addition, 2 more events to sample and compare the Pros and Joes were held, This was the west coast edition, as earlier in the week they had held this same event in New York / east coast edition. In this event though, a professional kitchen was preparing it, and added to the lineup of 8 was a bonus recipe using the Kettle chip from the local professional kitchen.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth  Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

While a few of my fellow Portland bloggers were judging, I was also able to taste these top hors d’oeuvres and enjoy complimentary open bar where Snooth offered a chance to try the suggested wine or beer they had paired with the item. For the white, Snooth had selected for the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines. In addition, beer options included local brews Widmer Hefeweizen, Bridgeport Kingpin Double Red Ale, Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale, and Guinness Extra Stout. I only drank the wines, but enjoyed both of them (what, I had to try both based on the Snooth suggested pairings. You know this is work).

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, or the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, or the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, or the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, local brews Widmer Hefeweizen, Bridgeport Kingpin Double Red Ale, Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale, and Guinness Extra Stout beer

The first taste to come out was a Joe recipe of Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin, which utilized the Kettle Cheddar Beer chip infused as part of the dry rub and mustard pre-cooking before smoking. This was very flavorful with the porky smokey taste with the bit of tang but also hint of savory cheese, though we wished the potato chip itself was a bit more pronounced and noticeable such as by being added as a bit of crunchy crust. Check out the recipe here.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin

Of course, it then turns out the very next dish served up that very idea, where a Joe recipe gave us Kettle Brand Jalapeno Jack chip contributed to a Potato Chip Crusted Quiche by serving as the potato chip crust. This is where it should be mentioned again that the recipe submitters were not preparing this for us, but the culinary kitchen here was doing their best to follow/interpret the recipe. We learned that for instance apparently in New York, they had made individual mini-quiches, while here you can see we are given sliced small pieces, and apparently more bacon than our east coast counterparts! In this case, a potato chip crust seems to imply some crispiness, but in what we had it felt heavy and the Jalapeno Jack flavors seemed to get lost. Check out the recipe here.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Jalapeno Jack chip contributed to a Potato Chip Crusted Quiche

The third tasting was our first Pro recipe, Kettle Brand Sea Salt and Vinegar chip recipe with Squash and Zucchini Terrine with Baked Ricotta Cheese, so here is another example of an interpretation by a kitchen because depending on the size of the chip and the size of the terrine (the recipe calls for a 1×1 inch square) the bold flavors of the salt and vinegar of the chip could overwhelm the terrine. The suggested pairing from Snooth was a Suavignon Blanc wine or Pilsner beer.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Sea Salt and Vinegar chip recipe with Squash and Zucchini Terrine with Baked Ricotta Cheese Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Sea Salt and Vinegar chip recipe with Squash and Zucchini Terrine with Baked Ricotta Cheese

Another Pro recipe came out, this was the Kettle Brand Fully Loaded Baked Potato chips further “loaded” with Candied Bacon, Sour Cream, Chive, Eggplant and Sharp Cheese. This got rave reviews by some who liked the emphasis of loaded flavor, while others wondered the creativity of layering the same flavors of the chip on the chip. The Snooth suggested pairing here was a Pinot Noir or Ale beer.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Fully Loaded Baked Potato chips further loaded with Candied Bacon, Sour Cream, Chive, Eggplant and Sharp Cheese

Next was a freebie that was not part of the competition, a Kettle Brand Jalapeno Chip with Guacamole and Roasted Corn Custard. Many people loved the bright clean cool flavors and creamy textures here that melded well  to counterbalance and complement with the slight kick of the crispy (of COURSE) chip.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Jalapeno Chip with Guacamole and Roasted Corn Custard

We were back to a Joe with this which I probably had about 4 of these, the Kettle Brand Crispy Ranch Eggplant Dippers featuring Zesty Ranch potato chips as part of the breadcrumb mixture, which definitely did pay off in a lot of really great crunch. Check out the recipe here. One person at my table noted that although the recipe calls for frying the eggplant in one inch of oil in a skillet, we could imagine also baking this successfully, and it was a pretty straightforward recipe. The Eggplant Dippers are the ones I will most likely try to make myself.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Crispy Ranch Eggplant Dippers featuring Zesty Ranch potato chips Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Crispy Ranch Eggplant Dippers featuring Zesty Ranch potato chips

Another Pro recipe: Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chips showcased in Tabasco Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chip crust, Creamy Coleslaw Black Pepper and Red Onion. This was a little difficult to eat balancing that chicken on the chip to your mouth, but very tasty, and adding the buffalo bleu chips and panko together added great flavor to the chicken. The Snooth suggested pairing here was a Pinot Noir or Ale beer.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tabasco Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chip crust, Creamy Coleslaw Black Pepper and Red Onion Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tabasco Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chip crust, Creamy Coleslaw Black Pepper and Red Onion

The next one didn’t take much to guess it was a Pro recipe: Tom yum marinated shrimp grilled with white miso and coriander aioli and lemon balm, utilizing Spicy Thai chips. I could totally imagine ordering multiple of these at a restaurant happy hour, the flavors really were zingy.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tom yum marinated shrimp grilled with white miso and coriander aioli and lemon balm, utilizing Spicy Thai chips Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tom yum marinated shrimp grilled with white miso and coriander aioli and lemon balm, utilizing Spicy Thai chips

And finally, the last taste of the 8 was the Joe recipe for Kettle Brand Spicy-Mochico Chicken with Red Chili chips. This one seemed to suffer from an execution in that the chicken was a bit dry, and a bit greasy, perhaps left in the deep fryer too long? The recipe card was pretty intimidating, and it starts with 12 thawed boneless skinless chicken thighs! Check out the recipe here. The suggested pairing from Snooth was a Suavignon Blanc wine or Pilsner beer, or a Margarita Cocktail!

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Spicy-Mochico Chicken with Red Chili chips Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Spicy-Mochico Chicken with Red Chili chips

You can check out other submitted recipes here, at the official Snooth and Kettle Chip Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Website. The website shows recipes for other flavors of Kettle Chips, including recipes for even MORE of the Kettle Chip flavors. You didn’t notice any use of say, Barbecue flavor, or New York Cheddar, or the new Maple Bacon flavor up there after all..

Thank you to Snooth and Kettle Chip for putting together this event, and now I remember how addictive those Kettle Chips are… I had to hide the chip bag from the table display/recipe table in order to control myself and F from eating a whole bag immediately. And now that I looked at their site and saw all these other chip flavors, I think I’m in snack trouble!

Also, it was wonderful to see other fellow Portland bloggers, such as A Well Crafted Party, The Spicy Bee, A Tiny RocketWill Run for Pasta,  and nice again to see Talk. Eat. Drink. Portland. and Salt. Water. Coffee. and I was able to meet the voice behind a new blog to follow, What’s for Dinner, Mama? She was asked to help judge, so check out her blog entry Winning All The Chips for her perspective of the event and tastings!

Disclosure: This was a complimentary event I attended that was hosted by Kettle Chips and Snooth, but they did not require that I write this review nor did they request it.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

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